ITR/NGS: Synthetic Environment for Continuous Experimentation

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

The study of bio-terror threats require a significant improvement in our capabilities to analyze the human response to an attack, both at the level of the citizens (mobility, infection, and the feeling of well-being) and at the level of responders and policy makers (coordination, control, planning, and policy formulation). This project will address these issues using a geography based synthetic environment with artificial and human agents. Computational models of artificial agents' position, mobility, infection-susceptibility and the state of well-being will be developed. Intuitive interfaces will be provided to human agents to carry out the complex coordination roles. Together, their behaviors will be used to analyze how a bio-terror attack may spread through the population and how its impact might be contained by different intervention strategies. We will use this platform to conduct new and innovative research. The results of such exercises will also be used to help develop, test, analyze, and implement public policies and operating procedures. Once implemented, the models will be extended to include coordination amongst responders in multiple jurisdictions and for multiple pathogens. An important aspect of the work is to develop an agent-based scalable software architecture for tera-scale, grid computing, and to virtually test the prorotype technology and it's effectiveness on heterogeneous resource availability environements requiring real-tim eresponse and heterogeneous platform assemblies comprising of diverse systems, such as GPS, wireless communications, and enabling decision support during crisis situations.